This six-part program provides an overview of key concepts and skills for clinicians facing common challenges in the management of patients with chronic pain, including reducing the risks of opioids and addressing opioid use disorder.
This guide has been developed to complement the Opioids Clinical Primer CPD series and includes an overview of buprenorphine/naloxone pharmacology; guidance for initiation, dosing, managing and writing buprenorphine/naloxone prescriptions; and the role of urine drug testing.
The Resource section includes many useful tools and resources including: Subjective Opiate Withdrawal Scale (SOWS); Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale (COWS); a patient handout about induction ‘What to Know and Expect’; 'Starting Buprenorphine/Naloxone' patient instruction sheet; Buprenorphine Initiation Quick Reference Guide; a sample patient agreement for treatment with buprenorphine/naloxone; order set templates for both the Emergency Department and inpatient settings; and a sample PICC line letter of understanding.
Developed by the University of Toronto and McMaster University.
Updated September 2021.